Inclusive Sustainability Approaches in Common-Pool Resources from the Perspective of Blackologists

Abstract

The tragedy of the commons posits that depletion of common resources harms all stakeholders. Although such a downward spiral is plausible, the potential outcomes are far more complex. In the present article, we report on this coupled feedback between resource strategies and the environment from the perspective of Blackologists. We fully embrace that our understanding and appreciation for nature are inherently shaped by our identity, culture, and lived experiences. First, we deconstruct the uses and beneficiaries of the shared resource. Then, we identify potential cascades of conflict through the lens of resource partitioning, plasticity, and mitigation strategies recognizing the inherent human dimension nested within these dynamics. We emphasize that who studies these processes can alter the framing and outcome of the tragedy through several case studies. We recommend that avoidance of environmental tragedies is possible with inclusive engagement, interdisciplinarity, and oversight at different spatial and temporal scales.

Place-Based Bias in Environmental Scholarship Derived from Social–Ecological Landscapes of Fear

“…In response, we call for increased discussion about self-awareness in science and how to share our work within the discipline and broadly with other groups (Yitbarak et al. 2021 , Zvereva and Kozlov 2021 ). We view these recommendations as catalysts in conjunction with other disciplines (e.g., anthropology, geography, law, women and gender studies) to carry out science that recognizes and addresses bias in landscape identity.…”

Responsibility, equity, justice, and inclusion in dynamic human–wildlife interactions

“…Although named after a 19th-century English explorer (Edward John Eyre), the health of the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin is connected to the Arabana and other Indigenous peoples, as the basin is located on their traditional lands. Building effective alliances is therefore contingent on responsible scholars being aware of the historical context and persistent legacies of the areas in which they are working to decolonize their work, identify relevant partners, and operate with principles of inclusivity (Tan 2021;Trisos et al 2021;Yitbarek et al 2021).…”

“…As such, Indigenous communities with ancestral claims to land may unjustly no longer practice rituals that maintain their health, spirituality, and connection to the land (Tauli-Corpuz et al 2020). For example, the traditional "fortress" conservation schema incites a diverse cadre of HWIs, but the displacement of people and restricted access to natural resources in protected areas cause many antagonisms (Zafra-Calvo et al 2017;Yitbarek et al 2021). Assets locked within national park boundaries, as top-down regulatory conservation infrastructure, cause competition among human users (Tauli-Corpuz et al 2020).…”

“…The need for local involvement in and endorsement of conservation practices has led to the establishment of such programs as integrated conservation and development, community-based conservation, and community-based natural resources management (Armitage et al 2020;Tauli-Corpuz et al 2020). The effective inclusion of local communities on issues relating to HWIs requires decision makers and wildlife managers to recognize and incorporate local community values, attitudes, and beliefs across demographic, cultural, and ethnic parties impacted by HWIs (Jordan et al 2020;Yitbarek et al 2021). Such practices will minimize those traditionally allowed to have a voice in influencing who gains and who loses from planned interventions.…”

“…2017; Yitbarek et al . 2021). Assets locked within national park boundaries, as top‐down regulatory conservation infrastructure, cause competition among human users (Tauli‐Corpuz et al .…”